


A Cold and Calculated Mission

by xx_Katastrophe



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien's POV, Andre's ice cream!, F/M, First Person, Gen, Setting them up, minor hints of Ladrien
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-12
Packaged: 2021-03-12 07:55:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,297
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29381697
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xx_Katastrophe/pseuds/xx_Katastrophe
Summary: Tired of them not admitting to it, Adrien ropes his friends into pushing his father and Nathalie together. Does it work? Who knows.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Alya Césaire & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug & Nino Lahiffe, Gabriel Agreste | Papillon | Hawk Moth/Nathalie Sancoeur
Comments: 6
Kudos: 42





	A Cold and Calculated Mission

**Author's Note:**

> loosely connected to this fic https://archiveofourown.org/works/27253072

**Sunday Evening: Agreste Residence, Adrien’s Bedroom**

I asked Father again about him and Nathalie, and again, he gave me the same lie again-- “Adrien, she’s just my assistant”. I’ve seen how he acts around her, and I think he may be smitten with her. You see, Father always seems to be his happiest around Nathalie. He smiles, and not a fake smile, either. It’s something I’ve never seen before, even when Mom was still here. Nathalie’s even different. She’s less uptight and professional, and I’ve actually seen her laugh a little with him. They have no idea that I was witness to this, but I’m not as oblivious as they think. Well, I have a plan to finally give them the little push. Maybe if they eat Andre’s special soulmate ice cream, they’d eventually get the hint. However, I’m going to need some help, and I know just the people to help. 

Marinette is going to be perfect for this plan. She’s so smart and really good at planning things out, and with Alya, they’re practically unstoppable. Nino and I are mostly just here to help, really. I’m not sure if we could come up with anything more genius than what they could. I just sent them a text to let them know that I want to pull this off. We’ll probably have to elaborate on it at school tomorrow, but I’m sure they’ll be on board. Probably because I’ve talked about my father and Nathalie to them, that they’d rather just have me shut up about it now. All I know is that we have our work cut out for us to get this to work. 

**Monday Morning: Collège Francois DuPont, Miss Bustier’s Classroom**

I sit down in my normal spot in class… early, as per usual. I swear I’m always the first person here, with each day seeming like I come earlier and earlier. I guess Father really doesn’t want me to ever be late...and considering my past instances of Mr. Damocles telling him about that over the phone, I guess I can’t blame him for wanting me to always be super early. Well, excuse me if some super villain decides to strike and I have to be a little late… Maybe he’d understand me better if he knew I was a superhero that saves Paris all the time… with a little help, of course. At least it wasn’t too much longer until some of my other friends came in. Nino sits down next to me, and Alya takes her seat behind me. 

“Wow Adrien, you get here earlier and earlier.” Alya jokes. 

I tell her, “It sure feels like it…” 

Nino adds in, “Dude, your dad’s gonna have you sleep here soon enough.” 

“Maybe Marinette should take some tips from you.” Alya chuckled, as she looked at her phone. “It seems like she’s always late.” 

Maybe she spoke too soon-- just as class was about to start, Marinette ran in, seemingly completely out of breath. She hastily sat down, breathing heavily. 

“There you are! Good morning, Marinette.” I say. She seems to have turned even redder. Was it something I said? 

“O-oh… good morning, Adrien!” She says back, with a smile. She always seems to be smiling, regardless of things. 

Miss Bustier then walks in, and gets our attention for the beginning of class. I suppose our discussion for plans will have to wait. 

**Lunchtime, Collège François DuPont**

Now we have perfect clearance to talk about how we’re going to pull this off. Alya, Nino, Marinette and I sit in a circle. 

“Right, so… Adrien, you have a clear schedule tomorrow?” Alya asks me. 

I have to think. My Chinese tutor had mentioned he was ill and unable to come tomorrow, which means that I do have a free afternoon, luckily. “Yeah, I do. Why?” 

“Great, because Marinette and I may have a plan. How much does your dad hate bootlegs of his brand?” 

A very interesting approach… I didn’t think of it this way. “Oh, he hates them so much. He will definitely come out here and give them a piece of mind.” 

“Great. So, after school, one of us will give you something. Alya, Nino and I will head to Pont des Arts. You tell your dad’s assistant that I left something behind in school and when you see us at the bridge, you want to stop and return it. Suggest the ice cream and pray she says yes.” 

Alya nods, “Nino and I will distract. I’ll grab her phone, and give it to Marinette, who will make a phone call to your dad. I think she’s got the voice down. Marinette?” 

Marinette clears her throat, “Excuse me, sir, but there’s a vendor here selling bootlegs of your brand.” It was actually a good impression. Through a phone, I wouldn’t be able to distinguish the two of them.

“Wow Marinette, that’s really good. You sound just like her. This plan may actually work.” I tell her. 

“Yeah dude, that sounds pretty solid. But one question.” Nino asks. 

Alya raises a brow, “Yeah?” 

“Will we still get ice cream?” 

We all laugh, before Alya answers, “Yes, we’ll still get ice cream… and Mr. Agreste and his assistant will be too in love to punish Adrien for his stunt. Hopefully.” 

“I sure hope so… thanks guys.” I’m so grateful to have such great friends.” 

“That’s what friends are for, bro.” Nino puts his arm around me. I am still apprehensive about how wrong this could all go, but it was worth a shot. 

**Tuesday Morning**

A new day, one that will certainly prove itself to be more eventful than yesterday. Sure, we planned the scheme, but today’s execution day. No, no one will actually be executed, I mean the plan. When Alya, Nino and Marinette show up, they also seem ready to go with this plan. The hard part may be waiting through the entire school day. I’m so excited, I can hardly concentrate on Miss Bustier’s lecture. It’s hard to focus on lessons when there’s a chance I may get grounded for the rest of the year if this stunt goes wrong. If executed correctly, however, this will be great for me, Father and Nathalie. All I want is to see my father happy again, and if this is what it takes, then I’m fine with being grounded. 

A light punch to the arm snaps me out of my daze. I turn my head. 

“Earth to Adrien, did you hear me?” Nino asks. 

“No, I’m sorry. What did you say?” 

“I said, ‘Will you get grounded for this plan’?”

“Well, I hope not. But who knows. My father is a mystery sometimes…” 

“Will it be worth it?” 

“Absolutely.” 

Well, I was pretty sure it would be, anyway. I might be a bit crazy, though. 

**Tuesday Afternoon, Front Steps of Francois DuPont**

Now is our time to shine. When we met up at the stairs, Marinette handed me her journal, so that there was a legitimate excuse for us to stop. Alya, Nino and Marinette head to Pont des Arts, while I wait for Nathalie and the Gorilla. Just as my friends walk out of my sight, my car pulls up to the curb. I walk down the stairs, and get into the backseat of the car. 

“Good afternoon, Adrien. How was school today?” Nathalie asks me. 

“Oh, school was good… typical day, you know? How are you today?” 

“I’m well, thank you.” 

“Listen Nathalie… is it okay if we stop at the Pont des Art bridge? Marinette left her journal behind at school and I want to give it back to her.” 

“It can wait until tomorrow.” Nathalie replied, scrolling through her tablet. 

I begin to panic. The plan is already going wrong. “Uh, actually, it can’t. We really need these for homework. It’s important that I give it to her now.” 

Nathalie heaves a sigh of annoyance. “Fine. But make it quick. Your father will be furious if we’re not back on time.” 

“Don’t worry, it will be. You know, since we’re going to be there anyway… how about we get ice cream, too? We can bring it to go.” 

“No. Your father will be very upset if he found out you ate ice cream before dinner.” 

“Come on, Nathalie, please? He doesn’t have to know. We can say it’s traffic.” I plead with her. 

With another curt sigh, she agrees, but we’d also have to eat the evidence away quickly. It’s almost alarming how easily convinced she was, but I’m certainly not complaining. When we pull up at the bridge, my friends arrive and walk up onto the bridge. I get out, and then Nathalie follows out from behind me. We walk up behind them, and I greet my friends. 

“H-hey Adrien, did you happen to see my journal? I think I may have left it at school. I can’t find it anywhere in my bag.” Marinette asks me, frowning a little. 

“Oh, yeah! I actually have it in my bag, but I left it in the car. Hold on, I’ll go get it.” I say, as I head towards the car. In passing, I give a subtle motion for Nino to start his distraction. I pause for a moment to overhear the conversation going on.

“Hey Miss Assistant lady--” Nino starts, 

“I would prefer Miss Nathalie, thank you.” She corrects him, already irritated. It seems like she was still not fond of him for trying to stand up for me on my birthday. 

“Sorry ma’am. Miss Nathalie, do you play games on your phone?” 

“I don’t.” 

“Well, I think you should… See, there’s this game called Super Penguino…” Nino begins to explain, but that was all I could hear before I went out of ear shot. From over my shoulder, I could see Alya stealthily pick-pocketed Nathalie’s phone off and pass it off to Marinette in one swift motion. I began to dig around in my bag for Marinette’s journal, pretending as if I was searching for it. As I pull the journal out of the bag, I hear her coming close to me. She has Nathalie’s phone in her hand, and is already calling my father. When he answers, I feel my stomach drop a little. 

“Hello Nathalie, is everything alright?” He asks. 

Marinette clears her throat, “Um, yes sir. We had to stop at Pont Des Arts Bridge.” 

“How come?” He asks with concern. Jeez, even the way he talks to Nathalie is different. His voice is much softer and warmer than normal. 

“Adrien spotted a vendor who is selling bootlegs of your brand.” 

“WHAT?!” Marinette and I wince. I don’t recall ever hearing my father raising his voice like that, even when he was mad at me. “Those low-lives… make sure they don’t go. I’ll be there soon to serve him with papers.” 

“I understand sir. See you shortly.” Marinette ends the call. We high-five, as I hand her journal to her and she hands Nathalie’s phone to me. After I close the car door, we head towards the bridge. As we approach Alya gives us a look to indicate she was asking us how it went. Marinette and I give a thumbs up. I casually slide Nathalie’s phone back into her pocket. It was surprising to see that Nathalie was so into Super Penguino… she usually hates video games… or anything fun, for that matter. All good things must come to an end however, and Nathalie loses her last life in the game. She hands Nino’s phone back to him. 

Pocketing his phone, Nino tells her, “Wow, you’re really good, Miss Nathalie.” 

“Thank you.” She replies, smiling ever so slightly. 

“Well, how about we get some ice cream now?” Alya asks everyone. We all agree, and walk further up the bridge to Andre’s Ice Cream cart. He seems pleased to see such a large crowd. 

“Well, who’d like to go first?” Andre asks us. 

“How about you, Nathalie?” I suggest. 

Nathalie nods. “Alright then… I’ll go first. What do you recommend for me?” 

“For you… let’s see. Ah, I have just the thing.” Andre begins, as he assembles a special ice cream for her, “A man whose heart and eyes cold, mint with dark chocolate, flavors so bold. Raspberry cheesecake for eccentric dress, and lemon, bitter, and to impress…” Once he finishes, he hands the ice cream off to Nathalie. I was somewhat surprised that Andre’s ice cream for Nathalie perfectly describes Father. She blushes lightly while handing him a few euros. She thanks him, and steps aside, to let me and my friends order. My friends and I take turns placing orders, and just as I finish placing mine, trouble shows up. 

Father’s furious footsteps could be heard as he shouts for Nathalie. He really did have a handful of papers in his hand. Was he always prepared to stop a street vendor? 

“Where’s that vendor? I thought I told you to not let him leave.” He looks at Nathalie, glaring at her, and her ice cream. 

She gives him the most baffled look, “What are you talking about?” 

“The person who was selling knock off merchandise!” 

“...Sir, there was no one here like that. Also, I didn’t call you. I was too busy playing a game that Adrien’s friends showed me.” 

I think he was starting to put it together, because they were coming over towards us, and neither he or Nathalie looked too pleased. As Andre hands us our ice cream, they confront us. 

“I knew those three were bad influences on him…” I hear my father tell Nathalie. 

“Adrien, what is going on? What is the meaning of this nonsense?” Nathalie asks me. At least she isn’t as angry about this… so far.

Alya, Marinette and Nino all look at me. This is certainly not part of the plan. I’m the one being asked, so I figure I should just come clean, because lying would only anger them more. “Alright, alright, fine. This was all my idea, Father, so don’t blame it on them. Blame it on me. Marinette never left her journal at school. She handed it to me at school so we can bring it here. She was also the one who made the call. Nino was the distraction so that Alya could confiscate the phone and this could happen.” 

“Alright, but why did you four do all of this?” Nathalie asks. 

I had enough. “Because, contrary to what you two may think, I’m not as dumb as you think. I see how you two act around each other. You’re both so happy, light and close to each other. You hug each other an awful lot for a professional relationship, don’t you? I thought maybe Andre’s special ice cream would help you two see what’s in front of you. Especially  _ you _ , father.” They appear to be a bit startled with my reply as they look at each other. 

My father pushes up his glasses. “I don’t appreciate your tone, Adrien. You’re grounded, as soon as we get home. And do you really think that this ice cream will change anything?” Not surprisingly, he’s very skeptical. Nathalie is still eating hers casually. 

“Well, if you don’t think it’s going to do anything, then why don’t you get some yourself? After all, you’re already all the way here… you might as well enjoy the treat.” Marinette says, as she approaches my father. She has some serious guts. Alya and Nino must think she’s insane for what she just did. My father’s eyes shoot a cold glare at Marinette, before it softens. 

“Well, I suppose you make a point. Fine.” He approaches Andre’s cart, who is already prepared to make an ice cream for him. As he scoops the ice cream, he chants, “Wintergreen for her icy eyes, with red velvet as a surprise. Coffee for her bitter demeanor, but french vanilla for her side that is sweeter.” As my father pays, he seems to believe that we rigged it for him. None of those things Andre described are Mom, but all of those things are Nathalie. My friends and I decide to give them a bit of space, and we all sit on a nearby bench. At least we are able to keep our eyes on them, as we enjoy our treats. 

“Wait, guys, I think it may actually be working.” Alya points out. My father is actually sharing some of his with Nathalie, and she is sharing hers with him. I see him reach over and rub his thumb across her cheek, with the two of them sharing a laugh. They’re sitting awfully close to each other now. Nathalie rests her head against Father, and he certainly doesn’t seem to mind. 

I think we may have all been surprised “Yeah, I think so too… I can’t believe it.” With that in mind, I’m now able to properly enjoy my ice cream- strawberry, black currant and blueberry. Just like Ladybug… I wonder where she could be to see this. 

“So, do we call it a success now…?” Nino asks, as he leans over to look at all of us. 

“I’d say so.” Alya declares. We all high-five each other, having a mini celebration as we finish our ice cream. Our celebration is cut short by my name being called by Father. At least he sounds less angry. Maybe the ice cream cooled his temper. Or maybe it was Nathalie who did that...

“Alright, I guess I have to go now. Thanks guys. You’re amazing. Hopefully I’ll see you tomorrow.” I tell them. We all hug, before I head towards Nathalie and Father. 

Father looks at me and says, “You know, that ice cream was very sweet. Not as sweet as Nathalie, though…” He makes a soft, love stricken look. Suddenly I’m beginning to regret going through with this. Am I going to be subject to this all the time? This is a fate worse than being grounded. Speaking of which… “...But you’re still grounded for your shenanigans. For a year.” 

“What, a whole year?!” I protest. I know that I openly disobeyed my very strict schedule but it wasn’t even that busy to begin with! Why do I even bother trying sometimes? 

A voice of reason speaks up. “Don’t you think a whole year is a little harsh? This hasn’t truly affected his productivity or schedule for the day… so he isn’t wasting anyone else’s time and should be able to finish all of his duties for the day.” 

“Well, he wasted our time and caused us to be unproductive for 30 minutes.” 

“Not like we had any major tasks to complete anyway… so really it wasn’t a loss on our end either.” 

“Alright, then I guess I can make it one month.” 

“A week sounds more fair to me.” 

“Fine, a week and that’s final. Adrien, no hanging out with your friends, video games, TV, or computer use outside of school work. Do I make myself clear?” He told me sternly. I nodded. 

“Yes Father.” I reply meekly. 

“Good.” Again, his tone changes as he looks to Nathalie. “Let’s head home, now… I’ll meet you there.” He hugs her gently, before heading to the car that brought him here. She smiles and waves goodbye to him as he leaves, though they’d only be apart for a short amount of time. Don’t tell him, but I think the ice cream really is working his magic. No, they didn’t say they loved each other, but their affections to each other are more open. Neither of them were worried about being caught. I’ll gladly accept the week of grounding because in the end, my job here is done, and my mission was accomplished. 


End file.
